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A finely engraved folio map of southern Spain, published in Venice in 1775 by Paolo Santini, based on the work of the Robert de Vaugondy family. The map depicts the southern provinces of the Spanish crown, including Nueva Castilla, Extremadura, Andalusia, Granada, Murcia, and part of Aragon, extending from the Portuguese border and the Strait of Gibraltar to the coastal region around Valencia.
Drawn in a distinctly French Enlightenment cartographic style and re-engraved in Venice, the map captures a dense array of towns, rivers, and mountain ranges, and includes the regional road network in delicate clarity. Provinces are outlined in original hand color. The cartouche in the lower right is richly decorated with floral ornament and a sheep, framing the title in French and identifying the Venetian publisher and date.
Provenance
A unique feature of this example is the contemporary manuscript occupying the blank right margin. Written in a neat Spanish hand, it records the events of 2 May 1808 in Madrid.
The note summarises the Dos de Mayo uprising, names the artillery captains Daoíz and Velarde who fell at Monteleón, and alludes to the monument later raised on the Prado. It transforms the map into a small commemorative artifact of Spain’s War of Independence.
Paolo Santini (1729-1793) was an Venetian engraver known especially for his religious prints and fine cartographic engravings. He published in Venice and may have a been a member of the clergy. In his maps, he largely adopted and adapted the work of his French counterparts, especially the brothers de Vaugondy.
![Plan de la Rade de la Carbouiere avec les Quartiers. . . [Plan of the Road of Carbouiere with the Quarters. . .]](https://storage.googleapis.com/raremaps/img/small/94405.jpg)
